Belgrade: Top-ranked Novak Djokovic beat Milos Raonic in straight sets Sunday to lift Serbia to a 2-2 tie with Canada in their Davis Cup semi-finals.
Djokovic won 7-6 (1), 6-2, 6-2 in a 2-hour, 8 minute match on an indoor clay court at Belgrade Arena.
The best of five series will be decided in the final singles match played Sunday between Serbia's Janko Tipsarevic and Canada's Vasek Pospisil.
"This is like the World Cup for us," Djokovic said. "Think Janko has a good chance against Pospisil with the support of our fans."
Canada has never made it this far in the Davis Cup, while Serbia won the event in 2010. The winner will face the Czech Republic, which defeated Argentina in the other semifinal.
The Serb kept the big-serving Canadian at 10 aces, compared to the 34 he had in his five-set victory against Tipsarevic on Friday. He broke Raonic six times in front of some 10,000 boisterous Serbian fans.
Raonic, apparently struggling with an ankle injury he sustained Friday, put up resistance in the first set. But his game started crumbling after being held to a single point in the tiebreaker.
"I felt that I was dealing with anguish and pain," Raonic said. "He really played well in that tiebreaker."
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